All Hope Lost
by mimim1010
Summary: This is the story of the Charmed Ones eventual demise in Chris's dark future. It is a three-shot with each chapter dealing with a different sister's death. Rated M for brutal/graphic rape and lots of violence.
1. Piper

RE-EDITED! If you read this before, it's been re-written so I suggest re-reading. Thanks:)

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><p>I'm fourteen today, was Chris's first thought. His second was "Dad's coming today!" His father hadn't been able to make it to his thirteenth or twelfth birthday, but he had promised he would come today.<p>

He dressed as fast as he could and ran downstairs, but stopped when he heard arguing voices; it was his mom and dad.

"Leo! How could you do this again? Chris needs you here today! He's your son too!"

"Look, Piper, I'm sorry, but the Elders have felt a threat looming, and we need all the power to try and figure out what it is. I'm sure Chris will understand. I'm doing this to protect him. Nothing's more important than that!"

Chris felt his heart sink. Dad wasn't sticking around for his party after all. Just like last year.

"Well, tell him yourself. I'm sick of watching my son's face fall every year on his birthday, because his father can't spare one day to spend with him!"

"I can't…" Leo started to say but was interrupted by Chris making a sudden appearance in the kitchen.

"Morning Mom," he said ignoring his dad completely.

"Morning, Peanut. Happy Birthday." She tried to sound happy, but mostly just sounded pissed.

"Hi Chris," his father interjected quietly, "look, I know promised I'd come to your party this year, but…"

"Hey, dad its okay. I don't know why I thought it'd different this year, you promised last year too." He acted as if he could care less, but the slight tremble in his voice gave him away.

"Maybe next year. Happy Birthday Chris." Leo whispered as he orbed.

"Chris," his mother said, gently, "You know he tries, but…" even his mother couldn't think of a way to make him feel better.

"It's okay mom," Chris said, "I finally learned not to rely on Dad."

"What?"

"I realized I can't count on Dad for anything, and I am never going to trust him again."

"Peanut, He loves you, he really does, but…"

"But not as much as he loves Wyatt or even you Mom."

"Chris! You know that's not true. Your father loves you!" she reprimanded him.

She breathed quickly, "I'm sorry Peanut… your dad really does love you. You have to believe that."

They both turned at a sudden shout from the hall, "Where's the birthday boy!"

Wyatt entered the room and promptly engulfed Chris in a giant bear hug.

"Wyatt!" Chris protested while his burly, linebacker of a brother was smothering him. "C'mon let me go!"

"Wyatt." Their mother chastised, laughing.

He let Chris go and surveyed the room critically. "Where's Dad?"

"He couldn't make it." Piper answered, her manner a forced calm.

Wyatt seemed to realize it was a sore subject and turned to his little brother.

"Hey, don't worry about it buddy. Why do we want that pompous ass hanging around here anyway? It's your birthday, let's have some fun!"

"Wyatt!" Piper reprimanded him. "Let's refrain from calling your father a pompous ass, please."

"Chris, if you want hang out with your brother today that's fine, but your aunts will be here at six for dinner." She said turning to Chris.

"Actually Mom, I already have plans today." Wyatt said looking sorrowfully at Chris. "I thought Chris would want to spend the day with…Dad."

"Well...could you take your brother with you?" Piper asked Wyatt, pleading with him to salvage Chris's fourteenth birthday.

"It's okay Mom," Chris interrupted, "I can help you make dinner."

"Are you sure, peanut? I'm sure you'd have more fun with Wyatt."

"No, I wanna stay with you." He actually would have loved to go with Wyatt, but could tell that his brother didn't want him come.

"Thanks kid." Wyatt smacked Chris on the back before orbing out.

"Be back time for dinner!" Piper yelled after him.

"Got it Mom." His reply echoed through the room.

"Looks like it's just you and me." Piper looked at Chris. "Let's get to work."

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><p>Piper bustled around the kitchen, making a pot roast, while Chris laid out the ingredients for his cake. He had finally decided on a yellow cake with white frosting, even though Wyatt had been pushing for chocolate.<p>

"Sweetie would you come make the potatoes for me? I'll start on the cake."

"Sure Mom." He began to peeling potatoes and dropping them into a pot of water.

While the potatoes were cooking, Chris walked over to where his mother was sliding the cake into the oven. He dipped his finger into the mixing bowl and tasted a bit of the batter.

"Hey!" Piper yelled, playfully smacking him with the spatula. "Keep your fingers out of my batter."

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Chris scampered to answer it since his mother's hands were covered with flour. He opened the door expecting one of his aunts, or even his mom's good friend Shelia, maybe even with a present. However what waited behind the door was nothing like a birthday present, it was the barrel of a rifle pointed right in his face.

Chris forgot he had magic, and for a moment just stood there stunned. The owner of the rifle spoke, "Do any of that crazy shit your family can do, and my partner will put a bullet through your skull."

Chris gasped, his worst fear realized, magic had been exposed! "Mom!" he called, his voice merely a squeak. Piper walked through the door smiling and wiping her hands expecting anyone, but who was there.

"Oh my God! Chris!" she exclaimed, before quickly freezing the men standing in the doorway. "Who are they?" she demanded, while pulling her youngest away from the gun pointed at him. Chris could only shake his head as he allowed his mother to pull him away from the open door and push him toward the attic. "Orb to Magic School! Call your father and tell him about them. I'll…" Piper never finished her sentence as the gunman suddenly unfroze and shot straight through Piper's back.

She gasped and stepped back looking down at the red that was blossoming through her simple white shirt.

"MOM! NO!" Chris screamed, and with a mighty telekinetic blast threw the two men standing in the house against the wall in a fit of agony. Both men smacked into the wall and were unconscious instantly, but Chris's only thought was for his mother who had collapsed on the staircase. He gingerly raised her head into his lap and noticed with relief that her chest was faintly rising and falling, indicating life.

"P…pea..nnut." she managed to gasp out. "Mom! Mom don't worry. WYATT! Stay with me mom, c'mon. WYATT! AUNT PAIGE!" he called desperately trying to keep his mother awake. "It's okay mom. Wyatt'll be here and he'll heal you, I promise, just give him a minute. WYATT!" he screamed again, but no one orbed into the manor, and Chris was left cradling his mother's head.

"II.. ..ove..y" Piper tried to say, but her eyes widened in anxiety as she managed to raise her finger to point. She attempted to yell a warning, but not soon enough. Chris turned just in time to see one of the gunmen aiming at him. The next thing he felt was a scorching pain in his shoulder. Unlike his mother, Chris didn't collapse to the ground; he clumsily made his way to his feet with a roar of pain and anger.

His magic burst out in an almost uncontrollable rage as he used his telekinesis to wrap around the shooter's heart. He squeezed his hand into a fist and felt the pulsing heart slowly cease beating, until the man fell to the ground, dead.

Chris's murderous rage wasn't appeased, however, and he turned to the still unconscious man, quickly doing away with him as well. It wasn't until after the second man was dead that Chris became aware of the splintering pain in his shoulder. He looked down and wasn't surprised to see his once green shirt, was now a dark scarlet.

He quickly made his way over to his mother's prone form, but before he could reach her he collapsed, "Dad!" he managed to call softly before losing consciousness completely.

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><p>"Dad! Dad! He's waking up!" Chris looked up into his brother's tearstained face and glowing hands.<p>

"Easy Chris." Wyatt cautioned him, as he sat up and looked around the crowded room.

"Mom?" he asked, but it really wasn't a question. He could tell from his family's tears that his mother was gone.

"MOM!" he yelled when he saw her body on the ground. He also glanced around and saw the two other bodies littering the ground, but gave them no mind. He scampered over to his mother and started to shake her.

"FIX THIS!" he screamed at his father.

"Chris…" Leo looked truly heartbroken, "I….I can't." he broke down in sobs. Chris looked around frantically, waiting for somebody, anybody to do something.

Aunt Phoebe was on the floor sobbing as if she would never stop. Uncle Coop was there too, holding her and trying to keep her from running to the body. Aunt Paige was just standing there with tears running down her cheeks.

"She's dead." Wyatt's voice was emotionless, but his face betrayed him, showing that he was on the verge of tears.

Chris ran to his brother. Wyatt hugged him tightly. "This is all your fault." Wyatt accused Leo. "If you came today like you were supposed to, none of this would have happened and she," he pointed at Piper, "would still be alive."

"I think you should get them out of here," Leo said to Aunt Paige.

She shook herself, and held out her hand, "C'mon boys."

Wyatt shook his head, "Take Chris. I'm staying." His tone left no room for argument.

Chris stood up and made his way to Aunt.


	2. Paige

Wow. It's been about a year since I updated, but fear not, I have at last made an update. However you may notice I made several changes to this story including title and rating. I also rewrote chapter 1, so I suggest re-reading that before starting on chapter 2 since I made several big changes to the storyline.

WARNING: This chapter contains a pretty explicit rape scene. There is also some violence.

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><p>Phoebe looked frantically, searching for something familiar in the man standing before her, but, saw nothing but cool indifference in his eyes, "Wyatt…" she managed to choke, "Why...why are you doing this?"<p>

"Because Aunt Phoebe, I need to show the world just who they're dealing with. They need to know that they can't attack my family."

"Mortals aren't the evil Wyatt, demons are. Your mother taught you to protect the innocent." Paige tried desperately to convince her not to unleash hell on the world, but her action was futile.

"Never. Mention. My. Mother." He spat at Phoebe, "Not when you failed to save her." Phoebe actually stepped back, now dangerously close to edge of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Wyatt stepped back and seemed to check his anger, before continuing calmly, "Don't you want our family to be protected from the monsters that killed my mother?"

"Not this way." She managed to whisper, "_Please,_ Wyatt. Don't do this." He ignored her and began to chant. "I'm sorry." Phoebe murmured before smashing a potion on his back, stepping back quickly, and screaming, "NOW!"

Paige orbed onto the bridge and threw another potion at Wyatt, who quickly raised his shield, but not in time to prevent the potion from hitting him. He turned to his aunts in a murderous rage and attempted to use his telekinesis to throw them off the bridge, but Phoebe deflected it back at him using her empathy. It harmlessly bounced off his shield leaving Wyatt staring in disbelief at his aunts.

"Did you really try and vanquish me? Me?" Wyatt asked, still in disbelief.

"No. Not yet." Paige said spitefully as she and Phoebe began chanting in unison,

"_Piper, Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda, Astrid, Helen, Laura, and Grace; Halliwell witches stand strong beside us; vanquish this evil from time and space._"

"AHHHH!" Wyatt screamed as the power of their spell burst through his protection shield and hit him. A ball of fire exploded as Wyatt's form was hidden in the flames and smoke and his screams pierced the ears of his aunts who could only look in horror at what they had done.

"Let's go." Paige said quietly, taking her sobbing sister's hand, "We don't need to watch this." The two witches embraced as Paige quickly orbed them away from the fiery mess atop the Golden Gate Bridge.

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><p>"I can't believe we just did that." Phoebe collapsed as the two women materialized in the attic. "We vanquished our nephew." Her voice conveyed her distress, "Piper would k..kill us." She sobbed her voice breaking.<p>

"She would have made the same decision. Wyatt was about to unleash the Underworld on San Francisco. We had to protect innocents." Paige tried to reason even with tears running down her own cheeks.

"My God! What are we gonna tell Chris?" Phoebe asked, her heart breaking at the thought of her nephew's face when they told him they had murdered his brother.

"Chris will understand. He has to." Paige said slowly as if she was trying to convince herself.

"Chris will understand what?" a suspicious voice questioned behind the two sisters. Both turned abruptly and saw their surly seventeen year old nephew standing before them.

"What will I understand?" He asked a little forcefully, "Is it Wyatt? Did you guys find him?"

Phoebe let out a sob as Paige attempted to compose herself and explain, "He…Chris he's…Wyatt's not the person you remember. He's changed."

"I don't understand," Chris stated haltingly, "Is he alright?"

"He's evil!" Phoebe burst out, "Or at least he _was_."

"What do you mean _was_? Is he dead? Did you two kill my _brother_?" Chris's disbelief shone through his face as his two aunts only looked at him as both tried to come up with some explanation.

"Chris he was going to open a hellhole. He was going to unleash demons on the city. Please Chris, you have to listen to us!" Paige pleaded as her nephew slowly made his way toward the open attic door.

"No," he said shaking his head slowly, "You're not my mother! Either of you! I'm going to find my brother!" he shouted defiantly as he orbed out of the attic onto the Golden Gate Bridge, the place he sensed his brother last.

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><p>Upon his arrival he saw only a burned scar on the majestic, iconic, red bridge. "Oh God," he murmured, falling to his knees, "they really did it."<p>

He sat in stunned silence staring at the place his brother once stood, and was overtaken with an unquenchable burning rage. "I'll kill them." He whispered softly then more loudly, until he was screaming, "ILL KILL THEM ALL!"

"Easy now little brother." A voice behind him chuckled, Chris whirled around and saw the last person he ever expected. His big brother was smirking at him, almost as if he was saying, "Stupid kid, did you really think they could kill _me_?"

"Wyatt!" Chris exclaimed, as he ran into his brother's arms, forgetting for a moment that he was a manly seventeen-year old who didn't show affection. Wyatt seemed to forget this too as he wrapped his arms around his brother, in a tight hug.

"Hey. It's cool bro. Guess it's just the two of us now huh?" Wyatt said as Chris slowly drew away.

"Maybe…maybe they didn't mean to…" Chris began, trying to think of any possible reason his aunts would have for vanquishing his brother.

"No. They knew exactly what they were doing. Chris ever since mom died, they've been power hungry. They aren't the Charmed Ones anymore, and they can't stand when anyone else has more power than they do. That's why they tried to kill me." Wyatt explained sounding much older than his nineteen years.

"They said you were evil." Chris said, his voice puzzled, sure he hadn't seen Wyatt in over a year, sure his hair was a little longer, but this was his big brother. After their mother died, Wyatt had taken care of Chris. Wyatt had basically become a parent at sixteen, since their father became completely absent after their mother's death. Neither boy had seen the Elder since Piper's funeral.

"Do I look evil to you?" Wyatt asked with a grin. Chris smiled a bit and shook his head. "Good. C'mon now, you can't go back there. Pretty soon they'll be jealous of you, and try and kill you too."

"Where will we go?" Chris asked, trusting that his brother had a plan in mind.

"I've got a little place with some…_friends_." Wyatt responded, grabbing his brother's hand and orbing off the bridge.

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><p>"Chris! CHRIS!" Phoebe called again and again, praying her nephew would answer. Paige sat in the corner, quietly scrying for her missing nephew.<p>

"Mom?" a call came through the open door shortly followed by a girl, about sixteen years old with waist length brown hair. "We can't sense anything, and we've been searching for _hours. _Parker and I have been love- searching, and the twins and Junior have been sensing for Chris all over the city. He obviously doesn't want to be found."

"Its fine P.J." Phoebe sighed as she faced her oldest daughter, "All you kids take a break, we'll take it from here." P.J. nodded as she left the attic and turned just before reaching the door, "Don't worry mom, everybody fights sometimes." She reassured her frantic mother. Phoebe could only nod as she watched her daughter, who was blissfully unaware of the real reason her cousin ran away. That was a secret her mother deemed her far too young to know.

As soon as the attic door closed behind P.J. Phoebe sighed and returned to frantic scrying. "Enough!" Paige suddenly exploded, throwing her hands in the air, "Obviously Chris doesn't want to be found!"

"We can't do nothing!" Phoebe tried to reason with her sister, "This is Piper's _son. _We have to find him!"

Both sisters simply looked at each, at a loss. Neither of them could think of a way to find one seventeen-year-old witchlighter, who clearly didn't want to be found.

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><p>"Where are we?" Chris questioned as he followed his brother's orb trails to what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. Suddenly a very human-looking demon shimmered right in front of them. Chris was startled and prepared to attack, but Wyatt held him back, almost effortlessly.<p>

"He's not dangerous, Chris." Wyatt reassured, "This is my friend, Caleb."

"He's a demon!" Chris hissed, unable to believe that his brother was in cahoots with a demon.

"Mom and the aunts introduced us when we were babies. He's a half manticore, but was raised by a human father." Wyatt explained, leaving out the part where Caleb's father was killed by manticores when he was five, and the manticores had taken the boy back to the Underworld.

"So…he's good?" Chris questioned, slowly lowering his defensively raised arms.

"Yes." Wyatt answered with a breathless lie, "Good in the sense you would describe, but Chris, good isn't what Mom and the aunts always taught us. Good doesn't really exist; neither does evil. Its all relative."

"Relative to what?" Chris asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"Power." Wyatt answered simply, "And right now the aunts have become obsessed with it. They want my power and yours. We have to stop them before they kill us, or worse, the cousins."

"They wouldn't kill their own kids." Chris said, refusing to believe even the most power-crazy people would ever kill their own children.

"They tried to kill _me_!" Wyatt roared remembering the pain of his almost vanquish.

"Maybe their under a spell or something…" Chris tried, but he knew it was a feeble excuse.

"Oh please," Wyatt interrupted, "You know that's not true. Did you see their eyes? It was them."

"What are we going to do?" Chris asked his older brother, "How are we going to stop them?"

Wyatt's face split into a large grin, as did Caleb's as both men looked at each other in expressions that could only be read as triumph. "Caleb knows a way," Wyatt began.

"But it will involve their deaths." Caleb finished creepily. Chris's face hardened, and he nodded, "If it's for the greater good." he whispered to himself.

"I'll need your power to summon them." Caleb continued looking at Wyatt, "both your powers." He said as he swiveled to look a Chris, revealing just for a second the flicker of a snake tongue.

Chris cringed, but nodded, as he and Wyatt stood on opposite sides of the manticore, holding his hands. Caleb began to chant in some long-dead language. The earth began to shake and split down the middle, horrifying creatures spilled out. Chris chanced a look at his brother, but to his astonishment Wyatt wasn't scared or remorseful in the least. He was pleased, smiling a maniacally. Chris abruptly yanked his hand out of Caleb's grasp, but the demon didn't seem to notice.

He began speaking to the creatures in the same language he used to summon them, so the only words Chris understood were the names of his aunts. The creatures seemed to nod and slithered away, presumably to do the job they were summoned for.

"Goblins?" Chris questioned, his voice cracking, "You sent _goblins_ after them?" Not much was known about these terrifying creatures, except that they had been banished to the darkest recesses of the Underworld years ago for some unknown slight.

"They deserved it." Wyatt shrugged indifferently and turned to Caleb, "Call everyone, " he said, "We have a war to start." Caleb nodded and within seconds the warehouse was filled to the brim with demons. Chris jumped, expecting an attack, but they all stood docilely, waiting for Wyatt to speak.

"The remaining Charmed Ones are dead, along with their children. We can begin." Wyatt sated triumphantly. The demons cheered and began racing out of the warehouse. In the confusion, no one noticed the dark haired, green eyed boy silently orb out.

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><p>"What are they?" Paige yelled to her sister, as they attempted to fight off the seemingly infinite number of creatures attacking them. "I don't…" Phoebe started to respond when she was interrupted by a scream downstairs, "Parker!" she yelped and began running toward the attic door, leaving her sister to deal with the monsters in the attic.<p>

"Thanks sis." Paige muttered as she continued to orb objects at creatures. She spotted a box of crystals and got an idea. "Crystals circle!" she called and dove out the way as the crystal formed a cage around the majority of the demons. She allowed herself a small smile of victory, before moving on the few demons that remained outside the cage.

"Parker! P.J! Peyton!" Phoebe called as she rushed into the living room to see all the children fighting a hopeless battle. Even though there were six of them, the demons clearly outnumbered the children who were fighting a losing battle. P.J was trying desperately to reach her sister, currently caught in the clutches of one of the monsters. He seemed to be licking her neck and systematically taking her clothes off.

"Oh God." Phoebe thought with a jolt, as she realized what these creatures were, "They're goblins!" she screamed. Goblins were some of the most horrific creations of the Underworld. They wouldn't just kill their victims; first they would rape their victims, then rip off their limbs, then finally stick their icy hands into their victim's chest and freeze the victim's heart.

Phoebe frantically thought back to the what the Book said about goblins, but drew blank, all she recalled was a small paragraph, stating that goblins preferred killing methods and that they had been banished years ago.

Phoebe threw herself into the battle full force even though she knew she had already lost. "Run!" She screamed to her children and nieces and nephews, "RU…!" she was cut off when a goblin smashed a lamp over her head.

"MOM!" three voices yelled as all heads swiveled in the direction of the collapsed Charmed one, and several goblins began advancing toward her.

"Stay away from her!" a loud voice yelled as Chris materialized in a swirl of orbs. He quickly used his telekinesis to push the oncoming wave of demons away from his aunt. With another sweep of his hand, he pushed all the demons holding his cousins back. "Run!' he yelled at them. Five cousins obeyed and orbed or beamed out, the one remaining only glowered at him.

"Kat get out of here!" Chris yelled trying to keep the demons at bay.

"I've got to get Mom." She said and ran up to the attic. Chris sighed and turned back to the goblins, who now numbered somewhere in the forties. "Alright you motherfuckers, let's play some ball." He grinned and released his telekinetic hold on them. Before they could reach him, he sent out a burst of lighting, successfully incinerating about half the goblins.

He quickly disposed of the rest by ripping their hearts out of their chests using his telekinesis. He looked around the destroyed living room for a moment before collapsing to his knees. Painfully aware that his aunt and cousin were still upstairs, he lumbered to his feet and clumsily climbed the stairs.

What he saw brought life back to his aching limbs. His aunt was lying on the floor, wearing nothing but a bra, with both her legs ripped off. It was painfully obvious that she wasn't breathing.

Kat was frantically struggling in the arms of one goblin, while one was caressing her naked breasts, biting them with his razor teeth. Another was removing her thong, preparing to insert himself in her. A fourth was licking her face, occasionally nipping her face leaving small trails of blood running down her face. Two more seemed unable to wait and had sunk their razor sharp teeth into the skin of her shoulder. Before Chris could say a word or lift a finger to help, Kat's arm was ripped clean off her body. She let out a bloodcurdling scream, but her scream was muffled by one of the goblins shoving his dick in her mouth. At the same moment the goblin ripping her thong to pieces managed to stick his own dick in Kat. Her eyes bulged and the goblins all crackled, as one remaining monster sunk his teeth into her leg, preparing to rip it off as well, but Chris raised his arm and flung the creature back.

With a cry of rage Chris threw himself into the battle, as five goblins simultaneously flicked their faces toward him. Four rushed at him, but he easily dispatched of them, before staring straight into the eyes of the one remaining goblin. Realizing he had no chance, the goblin smirked at Chris, before quickly sticking his hand into Kat's chest. Her eyes bugged out for a moment before relaxing back to their original size, now a glassy blue.

"NO!" Chris bellowed as he ran at his cousin. He shoved an athame into the goblin, and picked up the lifeless body of his cousin. "KAT!" he shrieked, "WAKE UP!" He crawled over to his aunt's body and held her, "Please wake up Aunt Paige." He begged, "Kat needs you. PLEASE! Please, please, please." He implored, "DAD!" He screamed, but no one came. Chris sat silently cradling the bodies of his aunt and cousin. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!" he shouted at the ceiling, not sure if he was yelling at his father or brother, both the men who had abandoned him.


	3. Phoebe

**Putting a MAJOR warning on this chapter...NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACHED! There is a very brutal, graphic rape scene. **

**Seriously people read at your own risk. Skip the first PJ part and you should be fine**

**Also on a side note...I originally planned for this to be a three chapter story, but I'm planning to add an epilogue that will cover the events leading right up to what happened in "CHRIS CROSSED" **

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><p>Words couldn't even describe the loss Phoebe felt at that moment. She had been sick, nothing but a little cough, but Chris had insisted she stay in the safehouse, while five of them went to rescue several captive witches. Junior, Tammy, Chris, P.J., and Ryan (a witch very active in the Resistance) were going to go and it was going to be an easy mission.<p>

"Piece of cake mom." P.J. had winked at her mother before departing, "Don't worry so much." Phoebe merely shook her head at her reckless daughter, thanking heaven that her other two were much more levelheaded. P.J, Phoebe, and Junior were the hotheads of the family. Chris was cold and calculated; Tamora was somber, especially since the death of her twin sister three years ago, and Parker was sarcastic, but her movements were always carefully planned and executed to almost perfection. She and Peyton weren't allowed to go on missions since they were underage, but Parker was counting the days until her eighteenth birthday in less than two months. Phoebe was terrified at the idea of two of her girls fighting against Wyatt, but Chris said Parker could decide for herself. Chris was the authority figure now. Since Paige's death, he had been the one dedicated to stopping Wyatt and Phoebe found herself following commands instead of giving them.

Paige's death had been the start of evil's escalation into the world. After the death of one of the Charmed Ones, Wyatt saw no threat to his power and opened fire one day in a small San Francisco café. Demons swarmed the place and energy balls started flying, Wyatt laughing, in the center of it all. 31 people died that day. Wyatt swiftly revealed his magic to the world, which responded in terror and hatred. Within a month Wyatt had declared himself supreme overlord of the world, and employed an infinite demon battalion to do whatever was necessary to insure the people obeyed.

The people learned quickly that Wyatt and his demons were untouchable, but other witches were fair game. To the ordinary people, every witch was in league with Wyatt and wanted to exterminate the human race. Chris had foreseen this and created a safe haven for witches on the island, Valhalla. That didn't stop him from being famous though. Wyatt had plastered posters of Chris all over, demanding that the boy should be brought to him, _alive_. He didn't stress the condition he wanted the rest of his family in. Henry had been killed almost immediately, leaving Tam and Henry Jr. on their own. Then only a year ago Coop was killed protecting a five-year old witch from demons who had been torturing him. After Coop had managed to beam back to Valhalla, he died in Phoebe's arms, making her promise to raise the boy, Andrew, who had already lost both parents.

So when the rescue party came back empty-handed, Phoebe immediately knew that something was wrong, especially when she saw that instead of the five witches that set out, only four returned.

"Where's P.J?" she questioned Chris, hysteria in voice. "Where's my daughter?"

"It was a trap." Chris started before sitting down and burying his head in his hands unable to continue.

"They were already dead. It was a hunter ambush." Ryan finished for his closest friend before joining him on the sofa. Tamora didn't speak; just fell back into an armchair, exhausted. Henry gave his aunt a piteous look before dropping next to his sister in an attempt to console her.

"Well! What's the plan? How are we going to save her?" Phoebe questioned, tearing running down her face, "Chris! What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." He whispered, "We don't have enough fighters to ambush them at headquarters."

"I'll go!" Phoebe volunteered, "You, me, Henry, Ryan, Tammy…"

"Tam's not going." Henry looked up, a hard note in his voice. "I'm not putting her through that again."

Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, but Chris spoke first, "He's right. Tam's not gonna make it through another fight. We can take Billy and …" his voice faltered before he voiced his second choice, "And Parker."

"No!" Phoebe screamed, "They already have one of my daughters, they're not getting another one!"

"Mom, I wanna go." A little voice from the doorway said.

"I said no, Parker. You're not old enough."

"Phoebe, her powers would be a big advantage and her hand-to-hand skills are as developed as yours." Chris argued, "If we have any chance of saving P.J then we need Parker."

Phoebe looked utterly defeated and could only nod in face of Chris's strong voice and command.

"Okay. Henry go get Billy and we can get going. Tam stay here and be ready to heal. We don't know what kind of shape PJ's going to be in when we find her." Tamora nodded.

Chris surveyed his team thoughtfully, Billy was a firestarter, Ryan had super senses and super speed, Henry had empathy, Phoebe had empathy and premonitions, and Parker had inherited his mother's molecular immobilization power (the only one in the Charmed progeny besides Wyatt to have this power).

"Everyone ready?" he asked. They all nodded, and Chris closed his eyes a moment before saying, "Then let's go." He orbed out with Ryan, Henry with Billy, and Parker beamed out with her mother.

* * *

><p>The witchhunter's prison was actually exactly how it sounded. It was literally a medieval dungeon right in San Francisco. PJ could hear the tortured moans coming from cells as she was dragged past them.<p>

"Let go of me!" she demanded of her captors, who did nothing but pull her along more quickly. They finally stopped in front of a room deep into the maze of cells, and pulled the struggling witch inside. "Let me go!" PJ yelled as she struggled, but her captors seemed inhumanly strong as they forced her onto a table. They latched a metal bar over her abdomen first, as she kicked and flailed her arms, but they seemed to not notice as they secured her hands and feet with leather restraints.

They left the room and for what seemed like hours, PJ sat in the dark, wondering what horrible tortures were about to happen to her. A man dressed as a doctor cam into the room, but his face was cool and calm, like he wasn't staring at a captive girl.

"Oh dear," he said as he looked at her, "They forgot to remove the clothes." He pressed a button on the wall and the two men from before reentered the room. "Her clothes?" the doctor questioned impatiently.

One man pulled what looked like pruning shears from outside the room and slowly made his way over to PJ. She tried to move away from him, but the restraints kept her firmly in place. "Don't touch me you son of a bitch!" she screamed desperately, but he merely slid the shears up he pant leg cutting the seams and quickly removing her jeans. He then began cutting at her t-shirt, made harder by the metal bar, but presently had her shirt off as well. He then quickly removed her bra and panties until PJ was lying completely naked on the metal table.

"Now we can begin." The doctor said happily. He moved his hand between her legs, slowly into her sensitive parts. He moved his fingers inside her, and she screamed, "Get off me! Get off me!" he paid no mind, but after a few moments removed his fingers. "Damn shame we're not allowed to fuck witches." He muttered before pulling a needle out of his pocket, and jabbing it in her arm, none to gently. PJ winced but didn't give him the satisfaction of screaming.

"That should take care of the powers." The doctor whispered as he removed the needle. It was true and PJ knew it; she could feel the power leaking out of her, "No," she murmured, "No."

The doctor didn't pay attention, just continued to poke and prod her body. A sudden burst of fiery pain flew down her arm, and she screamed. The doctor didn't even pause in his work. PJ was unaware of exactly what he was doing but the doctor seemed to be messing with her for hours. Finally he was done and PJ found herself being carried (still buck naked) back to her dungeon. They threw her unceremoniously on the floor, bruising her back in the process. Unable to cope with her bruised and beaten body, PJ curled up in the darkest corner of the cell.

What could have been minutes or hours later the door flew open and banged against the wall. PJ looked through blurred vision, before realizing there was a group of six or seven men crowing themselves into her cell. "Wh….what?" she tried to question, before the man who seemed to be the leader motion to two men standing on either side of him. They approached PJ with a chain in their hands, and before she could even utter a word they had wrapped the chain tightly around her wrists, so they were pulled out in front of her. The men dragged her across the cell and attached the end of the chain to a ring anchored in the wall. The ring was high on the wall so when she was on her knees (a position the men pushed her into) her hands stretched above her.

"Please." PJ begged as the leader man approached her. He didn't say anything, but quickly unzipped and shed his pants. "Wait!" PJ screamed as he started to pull down his underwear, "I thought you weren't allowed to have sex with witches." The man said nothing, but pulled down his boxers and rammed his erection into PJ.

"AHHHHH!" she screamed as he thrust again and again. The man said nothing bust continued to move quickly thrusting and thrusting, as his erection grew larger inside her. She could feel his explosion inside her, but he didn't stop, just kept rocking back and forth inside her. He removed himself after several minutes and PJ breathed a sigh of relief, before he flipped her over, so she was lying on the ground, arms stretched above her. He then proceeded to salivate all over her breasts, alternating between licking and biting, until he was only biting her breasts as hard as he could, then her neck and face. His hands roamed all over her body, pushing his fingers inside her, until removing them and replacing them with his reinstated excitement. His erection lasted longer until PJ thought she would pass out from pure exhaustion. Finally he rolled off her, and pulled his boxers and pants back on. He walked back to his goons, his back to PJ, before turning around and speaking to PJ for the first time, "We can fuck whoever we want. Have at her boys."

The other men rushed at her and forced her onto her hands and knees. They gang-raped her, several at a time before they all pulled themselves out of her body, and she crashed onto the cold, hard ground.

Her body ached, as she lay on the floor, not caring that seven men had just raped her countless times as long as it was over. It wasn't. After several minutes the six other men were each given seven minutes to do whatever they wanted with her. One of the men was particularly cruel. In fact he was so cruel the leader gave him an extra fourteen minutes (total of 21).

He started with anal sex, fucking her anus until she was raw, while pounding on her ass with his meaty fists. He then shoved his immense erection inside her mouth and forced himself all the way down her throat, forcing her mouth to thrust by pulling her hair back and forth. Then he rammed himself into her so hard, her body bucked involuntarily, thrusting with more force than even the leader. For his final seven minutes he formed a whip out of an old piece of rope, whipping her until blood poured down her back. She passed out just before his time was up. She awoke to the sensation of not being able to breathe. "Wake up Bitch!" the man growled, before hauling her up, handing her back to the two men who had been holding her upright, and delivering the final two lashes.

"That fire ready?" the leader asked a man off to the side, next to the fireplace PJ hadn't noticed before. "Yeah." The man grunted, shoving two pokers into the fire. PJ suddenly very aware of what was about to happen tried to move or make a protest, but her body simply wouldn't allow it. The leader pulled one poker out of the fire and the other man pulled the other. They both approached PJ and the man (not the leader) stuck his white-hot poker onto her stomach. PJ left out a bloodcurdling scream, until the poker was removed. Not a second later the leader stuck the other poker against her right shoulder, branding her with the symbol of a witch, a broomstick (the first branding was a string of numbers).

The men began to leave before one mentioned that PJ was a charmed one. The leader quickly stuck a third poker in the fire and branded PJ with a triquetra, the sign of a charmed one. He spitefully held the poker on for a few extra seconds until she elicited a weak cry. He laughed meanly, and leered over her, his yellow teeth standing out grotesquely in his grin, "Hope you enjoyed that sweetheart," he bent over and kissed her soundly, tongue licking the entirety of her mouth, "'cause it's the last time anyone's ever gonna fuck you."

"Shove this up her ass." He laughed handing his empty beer bottle to one of his goons. PJ let out one final scream as the glass shattered inside her vagina, before mercifully passing out on the cold, stone floor.

* * *

><p>"Alright," Chris whispered surveying his team, as they appeared in the back corner of the prison, "This place is huge and we have to split up, Ryan with Parker, Billy with Henry, and Aunt Phoebe with me." Chris was reluctant to put Parker with anyone but himself, but it was necessary for every group to have someone who could teleport if things got difficult.<p>

Chris watched as the groups split up, staring each of them in the face. Henry's eyes were twinkling, itching for a fight, still channeling his anger about his mother and sister through demon hunting. Billy's eyes were also lit with a revolutionary blaze; like Chris, his mother had been killed by withchunters along with his three brothers. Ryan was steadfast and determined, eyes darting in every direction, desperate to get to PJ. Parker's eyes were large, luminescent orbs through which Chris could read her fear and determination. Phoebe's eyes showed the desperate terror of a mother separated from her child. Her eyes begged Chris with her eyes to save her daughter.

"Meet here in one hour." Chris stated, leaving no room for argument. He once more connected his eyes with Ryan, both to reassure the young man and convey to him the necessity of keeping Parker safe. Ryan seemed to understand, and gave Chris the tiniest of nods, before beaming out with Parker. Henry gave Chris a strained grin before grabbing Billy's arm and orbing.

"Ready?" Chris turned to his aunt, she nodded, her face white, "Let's get my daughter."

* * *

><p>Ryan and Parker had managed to orb right to the center of the cells, several tunnels led off the cavern they had landed in, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in the Underworld." Ryan remarked as he studied the tunnels before them, "Pick your poison, milady." He spoke, giving Parker a mock curtsey and gesturing to the tunnels.<p>

"That one." Parker pointed after some hesitation, indicating the one on the right. Ryan gave a nod of approval and gestured for Parker to stay behind him. They had barely made it five feet when they first heard the tortured moans coming from somewhere ahead. "Quiet." Ryan cautioned as they stepped forward. Suddenly the stone walls on either side of them were cells containing captives, who shied away from the bars as they saw the pair approaching.

"PJ!" Ryan called out tentatively, searching each face for the beautiful girl, trying to keep his own tumultuous emotions in check. Ever since PJ had been taken he had barely been able to repress the concern he felt to an appropriate amount. Chris didn't know anything about their relationship and Ryan was going to make damn sure he never did.

Parker seemed to sense his growing anxiety, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry," she soothed, "We'll find her."

"In what condition though?" Ryan thought to himself, while smiling and thanking Parker.

"Hey!" a shout from the end of the corridor yelled at them, "Who are you? Show identification! Now!" the man started to charge, and Parker grabbed Ryan hand, attempting to beam out, but found her powers blocked. "Shit." She muttered, "RUN!" the pair took off, sprinting; Ryan threw Parker onto his back, and quickly sped off down the tunnel at super speed. Parker threw her hands behind her and attempted to freeze the oncoming guards.

They ran until they found themselves in a very different place; it looked very much like a cave except for the doors placed haphazardly along the seemingly endless tunnel. "PJ's here." Parker stated suddenly, "I can feel her. She's close."

* * *

><p>Billy and Henry found themselves in another corridor, the walls lined with cells. They slowly made their way down the cells, looking for PJ in each one. They weren't having any success until they reached one of the very last cells in the corridor. Billy gave it only a cursory glance, but quickly swung his head back around, and pressed his body against the bars, "Jason?" he questioned breathlessly, "Jase?" the young man's body didn't stir, but Billy was certain; this was his little brother.<p>

Henry didn't sense the urgency in his friend's voice, his only thoughts on his captive cousin, "C'mon Billy, there's no time!" he urged trying to pull his friend away. Billy's scorching look was enough to stop Henry cold, "Get him out." He stated, not even asking. Henry didn't argue just orbed into the cell. Or attempted too.

"Shit!" he exclaimed softly, "I can't orb!"

"What do you mean?" Billy hissed, "We orbed in!"

"I know." Henry replied, "Orbing must only be blocked in the cells. How they hell did they get a witch to enchant this place?" he mused perplexedly. Witchhunters, didn't discriminate against who they killed: demons, Wyatt's witches, good witches, it didn't matter; withchunters killed anything magical they could get their hands on.

"I don't care." Billy murmured, eyes never leaving his brother's prone form, "Stand back." He ordered, an unusual authority in his voice. Henry didn't question him just backed up as Billy slowly stood, squinted at the metal bars, as they slowly began to melt away, the metal heating up, and eventually catching fire.

Henry attempted to contain his shock, he'd seen Billy do some amazing things, but melting iron bars was a bit different. A few minutes later, Billy had melted a circle in the bars, large enough for a man to crawl through. He immediately crawled through, grabbed the unconscious man by the shoulders, and pulled him out through the hole.

"Heal him." He demanded of Henry, who gave no resistance, instead knelt down and placed his hand over the wounded boy. Upon closer inspection, Henry realized the boy couldn't be any older than 16 or 17, and that every inch of his skin was covered in burns, bruises, and blood.

"I thought he was dead." Billy muttered to himself, "I thought they were all dead. I never…I would have looked…."

"Hey," Henry interrupted his muttering, "It's not your fault. We thought they killed everyone who came in here. Obviously that's not the case. We had no idea there were this many people in here."

"This has to be stopped." Billy said, his voice stronger, "How did we not know about this? There's gotta be more than ten thousand people in here. Who knows how long they've been here?"

"I dunno." Henry mumbled, focused on healing, "He's waking up." He muttered a few moments later, exhaustion leaking through his voice.

"Jason?" Billy breathed, watching his brother's eyes as they slowly fluttered open. Jason coughed slightly, and flinched, turning his face away from the two men hovering over him.

"Jase, its me. Its Billy." Billy crooned, causing Jason to turn toward the Billy and Henry. "We're gonna get you outta here." Billy promised, helping his brother sit up.

"Where's mom?" Jason stuttered, "What's going on? How did you get here? Who's he?" he asked in a flurry, indicating Henry.

"Listen, I don't have time to explain everything now, gotta get ya outtta here first." Billy tried to explain, but Henry interrupted, "I can't orb out remember. We've gotta find Chris, and the way out."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get outa here!" Billy demanded, slinging his brother's arm over his shoulder and helping him limp down the corridor. Henry shook his head, and followed his friend reluctantly, still looking halfheartedly in the cells for his kidnapped cousin.

* * *

><p>Chris and Phoebe silently made their way through another portion of the prison, a long, lonely, cramped tunnel. Instead of cells lining the walls, they were covered in as many weapons as Chris could think of plus a few hundred more. There were also medical tables with old restraints, haphazardly placed in the tunnel.<p>

"I don't think this place has been used in a while." Chris mused out loud attempting to draw his aunt into conversation. She said nothing, but pointed to a table covered in bright red blood. "Oh." Chris muttered and discovered several of the instruments on the wall were also covered in the sticky red substance. After a few moments of silence, Chris finally spoke, "I know you're pissed at me, but I had to do it."

Phoebe didn't speak for a moment, just walked slowly ahead before whipping, around, shooting her hands out, and pinning Chris to the wall, using his telekinesis against him, "You give them one of my daughters and now you're serving the other up on silver platter!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"We all have to make sacrifices." Chris struggled against her hold, unable to break free. "We're not living in the old world anymore, family can't be the only thing that matters,"

"She's only 17," Phoebe murmured in anguish, "You think age matters?" Chris nearly laughed, "I was 17 when I watched my aunt and cousin destroyed by goblins. Kat was only 13 when she died. Henry and Tammy were 14 when they started this fight, I was 14 when I watched mom…." His voice trailed off unable to even complete the thought.

Phoebe's face softened a bit at the mention of her dead sisters, and her hold weakened, allowing Chris to fall cat-like on his feet. "Aunt Phoebe we've all lost someone, but I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you and the girls safe."

Phoebe nodded slowly before turning and abruptly continuing down the tunnel. "Wait!" Chris called after her a few moments later, "There's a door." He exclaimed pointing to a door hidden in the rock. "One…two…THREE!" he yelled before busting the lock with his telekinesis. The room was empty. Phoebe inclined her head toward a table covered with coppery stains. "Blood." Chris whispered, "Must be where they torture people." Phoebe turned to him, eyes showing her panic. "It's alright." Chris quickly reassured her, "We'll get PJ out. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and tried to orb, cursing when he couldn't, "Shit! We have to find the others!" He pulled Phoebe with him, running back the way they'd come. " What's wrong?" Phoebe questioned breathlessly. "I can't orb!" Chris yelled back, "The only one powerful enough to block my orbs is…." he trailed off, coming to an abrupt halt when a figure swathed in dark orbs appeared in front of him. "Wyatt."

"Hello brother." Wyatt smirked, as he and his demons surrounded Phoebe and Chris.

Ryan pushed against the door with all his might, trying to force the lock open. "It's not working." He grunted, sweat pouring down his face. "C'mon…" Parker urged as the lock gave one final groan, before popping. The two wasted no time entering the room, and nearly tripping over the unconscious body jut inside the door. "PJ?" Ryan breathed, taking in the appearance of his girlfriend, naked, tied to the wall like an animal. Parker tried to cover her, as Ryan scooped her into his arms, tenderly kissing her forehead. Parker raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. "Let's get outta here." Ryan ordered, his eyes full of a ferocity that Parker had never seen.

"That's weird." Parker exclaimed as they left the cell, "I can sense mom. This way." She took off in the opposite direction, Ryan trying to keep up.

* * *

><p>"I can sense Chris." Henry stopped walking, and concentrated, "He's this way." He pointed and Billy followed still helping Jason limp along. "I hope he found a way out." Billy muttered as he followed Henry down the tunnel lined with cells.<p>

* * *

><p>"What do you want?" Chris spat eyes shooting daggers at his brother.<p>

"Only to be reunited with my family." Wyatt returned still smirking. "Although I hear poor Katarina didn't make it past the goblins nor did Aunt Paige if I remember correctly."

"You bastard!" Phoebe yelling, lunging for her once favorite nephew, Chris quickly blocked her path with his body, although he too was trembling from rage.

"Where's PJ?" he ground out, rewarded only by Wyatt's smirk, "Where _is_ she dammit!" he screamed in frustration, "She's your family. Are you really going to let these animals tear her apart?"

"I'm sure they've already done their worst." Wyatt answered still wearing an odd smirk, "And the rest of the family should be joining her shortly." He exclaimed. Chris turned quickly at his words and discovered Henry, Billy, and a strange boy approaching from the left, at the same moment Phoebe noticed Parker and Ryan approaching, carrying Phoebe. Phoebe screamed at her daughter to run, but it was too late, as Wyatt encompassed them all in his force field.

He began to laugh his horrible laugh, "Do you know what made them agree to this, trapping you?" he asked still wiping the mirth from his eyes. "The last Charmed One. That's all they wanted. I gave them PJ in the bargain, and they'll kill both of you for me. It's a brilliant deal…for me anyway."

"And you get me." Chris stated, finally understanding his brother's motives.

"And the opportunity to kill the rest of you, although I notice two missing; where are Tamora and Peyton?" He questioned almost politely.

"If you lay a finger on my sister…" Henry started

"Or my daughter," Phoebe interjected

"I'll rip you to pieces." Henry finished voice trembling with anger.

"I'm afraid you'll be unable to do anyth….AHHH!" Wyatt was cut off by a pretty brunette appearing from nowhere and sticking her hand through his chest.

"What are you waiting for…GO!" she screamed at the frozen resistance members, "I can't hold him forever!"

Henry grabbed Billy and Jason's shoulders and immediately orbed, Parker attempted to do the same with Ryan, but before she could touch her hand to his shoulder, a well-placed fireball smacked her full-force in the chest.

The world stopped, as all parties swiveled their eyes to the dying girl.

"NO!" Phoebe screamed as Wyatt forced himself forward, away from the invading hand. With a mighty telekinetic sweep he threw the brunette twenty feet through the air, and she landing on a stalactite protruding from the cavern floor. Both Chris and Wyatt ran to Phoebe, Parker, Ryan, and PJ. Wyatt arrived only a few seconds before Chris, forcing himself between Phoebe and Parker's dead body, and pulling Phoebe in front of him like a shield. He sneered at Chris as he waved a hand and snapped Ryan's neck with a flick of his fingers. PJ let out a terrified scream as Ryan's body collapsed to its knees, and then to the floor, arms still loosely wrapped around her. Chris grabbed his cousin, and pushed her behind him, before standing slowly, and facing his brother.

"You have a choice here Chris." Wyatt stated, "All three of you come with me and forget all this resistance nonsense." When all three vehemently shook their heads, Wyatt sighed, as if expecting that answer, "Then you must decide between PJ and her mother."

Chris closed his eyes, knowing it was going to come to this eventually, "PJ." He whispered, and was rewarded by Phoebe's silent thank you resounding in his head.

"Very well. But know this, Chris. I had a very good opportunity, several in fact, to kill you and I resisted. Perhaps you yourself should show the same restraint. We are brothers after all." Wyatt finished chillingly, before turning to his aunt, "C'mon Aunt Phoebe, I'll introduce you to some friends of mine, they spent the last few hours getting to know your daughter _very_ well." He chuckled as he orbed out, taking his demons with him.

Chris wasted no time; he quickly orbed PJ and the bodies of Ryan and Parker back to the resistance headquarters before slowly approaching the girl who had saved them. He expected her to be dead, she should be after being impaled by his brother, but miraculously the closer he crept the clearer he could see the slight rise and fall of her chest.

He knelt over her, and gently tried to force her body off the sharp point, but she stopped him, "A..are you Christopher Halliwell?" she asked her voice catching from the pain, "'cause if not I just totally fucked up."

"I'm Chris." He answered, astonished she knew his name, "I'm gonna get you back to where I'm staying. There's someone there who can heal you."

"Bianca." She introduced herself, grabbing his hand, "Orb me outta here." He did as she asked; unaware that this small action would end up costing him everything he loved, but also give him the opportunity to gain it all back.

* * *

><p>Three Months Later:<p>

Chris stood alone in the crowd, gathered to watch the burning. It had been a long time since the hunters had publically executed anyone; they saved the only most important executions for the public, and there was none more important than the last Charmed One, Phoebe Halliwell herself.

Chris hid his face beneath his high collar and hat, knowing it was a mistake to be here, but there was no way he could miss it. He watched them lead her to the stage. Watched her stumble as she was dragged by two guards onto the makeshift wooden stage.

Looked at her numerous injures, far too many to count. Burns from electrocutions, blood and bruising from God knew what. Her naked body covered in dust and dirt. The odd angle her at which right arm hung. The swelling around her left ankle. Chris catalogued them all, blaming himself for each and every burn, every lash from the whip, each and every fingernail carelessly pulled.

He watched them tie her to the wooden pole standing up through the stage. Watched a man deliver a hate filled speech about the evil of witchcraft and the nature of Phoebe's crimes, all of it lies. He watched the man deliver a guilty sentence and spit on Phoebe's face, while she didn't seem to flinch. Heard the jeers and shouts of the crowd as they threw rocks and clouts of dirt.

He watched as they piled straw around her feet. Watched everyone vacate the stage. Watched them throw a burning match onto the pyre. Watched the straw catch quickly, until the entire stage was a mass of fire, resembling the burning inferno of hell.

Chris listened to his aunt's screams as the crowd quieted, paralyzed by the petrified and pain-filled screams of the dying witch, likening them to the cries of PJ, Peyton, and little Andrew. He listened to her dying, and when everyone had dispersed, leaving only a smoldering pile of ashes, he approached the rubble and looked at her blackened, burned corpse.

And he felt nothing. Only numbness.


End file.
